Hucknall tells Britain's Daily Express, "I approached the BBC about a year ago with the idea of a programme.

"I said I wanted to find the next David Bowie, the next Freddie Mercury, the next Lennon and McCartney but they rejected it and went for The Voice instead, which to me was another version of The X Factor because it's not about creative artists.

"I would call on them to devise a programme to find the next Elton or the next Mick Hucknall. The BBC are the people to do it because they represent British culture; they should be looking to find the next musical icon."